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Xbox Offers New Treat [Video]

Gamers Get Revamped Tool

Aug 31 2010 Posted in Gaming by Ted Webb with View Comments

Xbox 360 wireless controller

Microsoft is offering gamers a new treat for Xbox 360. This fall, players will be able to get a wireless controller that has a new style of adjustable directional-control pad, D-pad.

The new controller was unveiled by Xbox Live programming director, Larry Hryb (who’s gamer name is Major Nelson). Hryb can be seen on a Tuesday YouTube video showing all the features of the new controller, particularly the reengineered D-pad. (See video below.)

“It is a revolutionary D-pad,”

Hryb says, demonstrating how the D-pad can be twisted to transform from a flat to a raised controller.

Hyrb also points out that Microsoft has for the first time ever made the A, B, X, Y buttons on the controller gray, in contrast to their typical yellow, red, blue or green colors.

The new controller will only be available with Microsoft’s new Play & Charge Kit scheduled to launch November 9. The kit will retail for $64.99.

Despite the new wireless controller, gamers who love playing online might be in for a disappointment. Microsoft is raising the price of an Xbox LIVE Gold membership from $49.99 to $59.99 for an annual subscription in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

Photo by Evan-amos via Wikimedia Commons. Xbox 360 wireless controller.


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Xbox LIVE’s Price Changes

Microsoft Changes Subscription Costs

Aug 30 2010 Posted in Gaming by Ted Webb with View Comments

xbox

Gamers who love playing online might be in for a disappointment. Microsoft is raising the price of an Xbox LIVE Gold membership from $49.99 to $59.99 for an annual subscription in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

Other Xbox LIVE rates are also rising. A three-month subscription will increase from $19.99 to $24.99, while month-to-month costs are also going up from $7.99 to $9.99, PCWorld.com reports. The price hikes go into effect Nov. 1.

So, why are these price increases happening? Microsoft has added more content and entertainment features since launching Xbox LIVE in 2002, but has kept the price the same over that time period, Microsoft’s Larry ‘Major Nelson’ Hryb wrote on his blog promoting Xbox. Microsoft is offering current customers a discount on a yearly subscription at $39.99, if they renew now, according to Hryb’s blog.

But some gamers may not like Microsoft’s boost in prices, saying Sony’s PlayStation Plus service offers a better deal, with premium content for $50 per year.

Photo by Timothy Pilgrim via Wikimedia Commons. Microsoft Xbox with controller.


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Microsoft Cofounder Sues Facebook, Apple

Paul Allen Claims Patent Violations

Aug 27 2010 Posted in Technology by Ted Webb with View Comments

Paul Allen

Paul Allen, the billionaire cofounder of Microsoft, is suing Facebook, Google, Apple and at least eight other companies, claiming they’re using technology from patents he owns. The technology was allegedly developed at Allen’s Silicon Valley laboratory, Interval Research Corp., The Wall Street Journal reports.

Allen financed the lab, which was based in Palo Alto, Calif., with $100 million. Allen didn’t tell The Wall Street Journal exactly how he believes his patents are being violated, but his spokesman, David Postman, said Allen “thinks this is important, not just to him, but to the researchers at Interval who created this technology.”

In addition to Google and Apple, Allen is suing AOL Inc., eBay Inc., Netflix Inc., Office Depot Inc., OfficeMax Inc., Staples Inc., Yahoo  Inc. and Google’s YouTube subsidiary, The Wall Street Journal reports. The companies were sent letters from Allen’s lawyers claiming they held “patents of interest.” The suit was filed by Allen’s Interval Licensing LLC.

Allen, 57, is reportedly worth about $13.5 billion. He’s the founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc., his private asset management company, and is chairman of Charter Communications. He cofounded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975.

Photo by http://flickr.com/photos/msprague/ via Wikimedia Commons. Paul Allen.


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Halo: Reach Snatched from Microsoft's Servers

Halo leakage tradition continues

Aug 21 2010 Posted in Entertainment, Featured News by Julius Rocas with View Comments

Halo
While the newest installment of Halo, Halo: Reach won’t be released until September 14, modders at Game-Tut.com claim that they were able to download a full version of the game from Microsoft’s servers, according to Joystiq.

This despite the download being currently available only to select media and a select few who has the access code. The modders promised that they won’t distribute the game despite saying that they have been taking it for a spin for some time now.

If confirmed by Microsoft, the leak will also confirm that the Xbox live system is vulnerable, or simply the demand for the newest game in the Halo franchise is just too much.

Joystiq has been contacted by a spokesperson from Microsoft about the alleged leak:

We are aware of claims being made regarding a security exploit related to Halo: Reach and are aggressively investigating the matter. We have no further details to share at this time.

Considering that Halo 2 and Halo 3 were also leaked ahead of their official release, I cannot help but suspect that Microsoft could also have allowed this to happen, you know, to ensure that the game will sell gazillions of copies.

Image by commorancy


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Microsoft Playing Catch Up With Apple iPad

Working With Computer Makers On Tablet Device To Rival iPad

Jul 30 2010 Posted in Gadgets by Ted Webb with View Comments

iPad

Microsoft is playing catch up to Apple’s iPad, but analysts say the software powerhouse will have its work cut out for it if it wants to beat Apple’s head start. Microsoft is working with big name computer companies (and Apple competitors), Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Asus, Levono and Toshiba to produce an alternative to the iPad, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said Thursday. Microsoft’s version would be Windows-based, according to PCWorld. Ballmer told analysts that the effort to produce a Windows-based tablet device that could rival iPad is urgent. Apple has sold over three million iPads since its April launch, and some believe sales could top 10 million by the end of the year. Ballmer told analysts he thinks Microsoft’s version should use Intel processors and Windows 7. The company had a Windows XP Tablet edition back in 2003, but the devices never caught on fully with the general public the way the iPad has. But Apple’s been in some hot water recently with both its iPad and iPhone. A federal lawsuit was filed against Apple over the iPad, claiming the device overheats and shuts down in the sun. A class action lawsuit was also filed against Apple over reception problems with the iPhone 4, a public relations debacle for the company, which ultimately forced CEO Steve Jobs to come out publicly and say that Apple isn’t perfect. Could Apple’s problems with the iPhone and iPad create enough of a window for Microsoft to produce a competing touch screen tablet device or capture more market share? What do you think? Leave your comments below.

Photo by Matt Buchanan via Wikimedia Commons. iPad with display keyboard.


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Microsoft Gains Access to Arm Chip Blueprints

Jul 25 2010 Posted in Technology by Julius Rocas with View Comments


Software giant Microsoft has signed a licensing deal with chip maker Arm to give the latter access to processor blueprints, reports the BBC.

The deal will now allow Microsoft to have a look at the entire instruction set used by Arm chips. It is the long list of all basic instructions that a particular chip can do including the manner it manages memory and other sub-systems to get work done.

Other companies also have a similar licensing agreement which gives them access to instruction sets of particular Arm chips. Among them are Qualcomm, Marvell and Infineon.

Microsoft issued the following statement in relation to the deal:

With closer access to the Arm technology we will be able to enhance our research and development activities for Arm-based products.

With the deal in place, Microsoft can now go deeper into developing more software that would run on Arm chips, which is significant due to the fact that most mobile devices including smart phones are run by arm chipsets.

Image by Randomskk


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Report: Google To Pull The Plug on Microsoft Windows

Jun 1 2010 Posted in Technology by Robert Halprin with View Comments

Google sign, Mountainview CA Hq.

Although this news might perhaps be met with immediate denials, the Financial Times is reporting that Google has made a corporate decision to back away from using the Windows operating system for its internal operations. The phase-out is said to be prompted by the cyberattacks on Google China that occurred earlier this year.

“We’re not doing any more Windows. It is a security effort,” said one Google employee…New hires are now given the option of using Apple’s Mac computers or PCs running the Linux operating system. “Linux is open source and we feel good about it,” said one employee. “Microsoft we don’t feel so good about.”

Google employees who want get a new Windows computer must apparently obtain permission from a corporate executive.

The article also suggests that all 10,000 of Google’s employees around the world will eventually move to its Chrome operating system which will compete head-to-head with Windows, which as everyone knows has received some bad press because of security vulnerabilities.


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Apple iTunes On Justice Department Radar

May 27 2010 Posted in Business by Ted Webb with Comments Off

ipod

Apple is on the Department of Justice radar, according to CNET.

Investigators are asking questions about how Apple handles its digital music business, interviewing record company and digital music store execs, CNET reports.

Apple now dominates the market with innovative products like the iPod, recently edging out Microsoft. But has that dominance led Apple to engage in anticompetitive practices?

According to CNET, investigators are curious about whether or not Apple discouraged two of the largest record companies from taking part in an Amazon promotion known as the “MP3 Daily Deal.”

Apple has recently drawn some heat for pushing for police to investigate the loss of an iPhone prototype and for using Foxconn, which has had a string of suicides at one of its Chinese factories, as a supplier for Apple products. (See “The Sweatshops Behind Apple, Dell And HP” on Indyposted.)


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Microsoft Launching Project Natal In October

May 11 2010 Posted in Gaming by James Johnson with View Comments

Project Natal

I’m getting really sick of hearing about Project Natal, it’s at the “launch it already” point, thankfully Microsoft marketing manager Syed Bilal Tariq has announced in a GamertagRadio interview that the motion sensor gaming option is all but confirmed for an October 2010 launch date.

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Microsoft Courier Gets Buried, It Was Barely Alive In The First Place

Apr 30 2010 Posted in Gadgets by Mark Kosur with View Comments

Microsoft Courier

If you were like many users before the invention of the iPad you probably looked on in amazement at the Microsoft Courier, a device that featured two screens, multi-touch, a built in camera and a bunch of other “what appeared to be” cool add-ons. Unfortunately it’s now being reported that the Courier is dead, before it was ever really alive.

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